Razor blade sharpener



s. A. VA SSILIEV 1,935,679 RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Nov. 21, 1933.

Filed 001.. 27', 1951 Sake/us A. K4 SSIL/EV INVENTOR I ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21,1933

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to razor blade sharpeners and has a particular reference to sharpener-s for safety razor blades.

In order to be in condition to cleanly cut the human hair, the razor blade must have a very thin and sharp edge. Afer the blade has been used a few times it ceases to produce a clean cut and becomes dull. The microscopic investigations have demonstrated that the principal cause of such a dullness is that, due to the presence of tiny cracks on the edge, portions of this edge become slightly bent in different directions. This phenomenon happens long before the edge becomes actually worn out.

The-first step in sharpening a blade must consist, therefore, in straightening or aligning the edge. This canbe done best by lightly rubbing the sides of the edge against a hard, polished surface.

For double edged blades a concave surface of a proper radius of curvature offers additional advantage in that the blade may be simply laid on such a surface, which will then meet the edges at a proper angle. The blades can be then pressed against the polishing surface with ones finger, and the sharpening process consists in moving the blade over the surface in different directions. A certain amount of actual abrasion also takes place thereby thinning or sharpening the edges.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawing in which-- Fig. 1 is an end view of my device, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is an edge view of a modified device, Fig. 4 is an edge view of another modification, and Fig. 5 is a plan or top view of the modification shown in Fig. 4.

My device consists of a block 1 preferably made of a very hard material such as glass. Its upper surface is shaped as a concave side of a cylinder of such a "radius that when an ordinary razor blade 2 is placed on it, its sharp edges form an angle with this surface, even when the blade is slightly depressed by the user's finger 3.

The block 1 has a fiat bottom surface 4 to enable it to be placed on a table. It also has raised edges 5 to prevent the blade from sliding ofi or from injuring the users fingers if he holds this device in the left hand while sharpening the blade with his right hand. The side edges are given suflicient taper so that the block can be made by compressing a piece of molten glass in a twopiece mold.

The side flanges 6 of the block may be'provided with holes 7 for attaching it with suitable, screws or nails to the table or to the wall in a bath room.

The operation of my device is as follows.

The block, if not attached to the wall, is taken in the left hand, and the blade 2 is placed as shown, longitudinally, and is slightly pressed with the finger 3 of the right hand. The blade is then moved back and forth as shown with the arrows 8 in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be given a rotary motion a circle, from left to right or vice 35 versa. 7

By the contact with the polished surface of the block all the ragged or damaged portions on the edges of the blade become straightened out forining again a sharp edge. A certain amount of abrasion also takes place helping to sharpen the edges.

The abrading effect can be increasedby forming the block with a composition containing a very fine abrading material, such as corundum or carborundum.

The block can be also made of cast iron or steel with machined and polished operating cylindrical surface. I x

Any other suitable metal or alloy can be also 89 used, for instance, aluminum, zinc or copper alloys, in which case the operating surface must be plated with a hard metal such as chromium.

A modified device is shown in Fig. 3. The block 8 isprovided with grooves or undercuts 9 in which edges of a glass or steel plate 19 are insorted. The block in such a case can be made of any molding composition, such as bakelite,

hard rubber, soft metal or, even, hard wood.

The plate 10 may be molded in or inserted after- 90 wards.

Still another modification is shown in Figs.

4 and 5. A curved glass plate 11 (which may be also made of steel or other suitable material) is placed and cemented in a depression formed in a stamped metal holder 12. The edges of the holder are bent over in circles 13 to facilitate its holding in the hand and to prevent the blade from touching the hand.

My device being open at both ends, it also 109 permits sharpening of ordinary knives, razors, etc., the curvature of the operating surface enabling to obtain a uniform angle on the edges of such knives or razors.

Other advantages of my device are that it is very simple in its construction and operation, also that it can be readily-washed and cleaned it necessary, and can be used either as a permanent fixture attached to the wall or table, or as a portable sharpener;

I claim as my invention:

1. A razor blade sharpener comprising a con-.- cave surface having its edges rolled inwardly, and spaced away from the concave surface form- 5 ing an interval, the diameter of the roll being greater than the interval. 2. A razor blade sharpener c omprising a sheet SERGIUB A. VASSILIEV. 

